Everyone must have been watching the '87 Canada Cup replays on TSN was what I first thought when it was 3-3 or 6-6 or who even knows when...funny in the end that 8-7 would be the final score in one of the craziest games in recent memory at the 'Pound.
Lars Hepso continued to have the hot hand, putting one through the 7-hole of Alex Orth just 20 seconds into the game for a 1-0 Dogs lead. It was Hepso again, on an absolutely gorgeous three-way passing play on the rush with Ryan Lough and Evan Anderson making it 2-0 on the power play just over three minutes in as the roof rattled a bit. Just over two and a half minutes later it was 3-0 Bulldogs, again on the rush as Evan Anderson banked his cross-crease pass off Orth and in to make it 3-0 which brought about a goalie change and a timeout for the Capitals. It certainly seemed to work for the Caps, as they matched the three goals the Dogs scored in the first six minutes of the period with three of their own in the final six minutes of the period, starting with Keyler Bruce driving the net and potting a rebound after a Jay Deo save off a Matt Grant chance on a 2 on 1 rush. Two and a half minutes later it was 3-2 Bulldogs on another odd-man rush as Luke Sandler walked down the right wing and ripped one top corner far-side. One last marker with just 4.2 seconds left on the clock saw the game tied at 3-3 after 20 minutes as Steen Cooper came out of the penalty box and split the Dogs defence before banging one home - it appeared to me with his skate as his stick was tied up.
The second period began rather tame in comparison to the first as it took just over five minutes for the first goal as Ryan Lough went to the net and chipped in a great cross-crease pass by Evan Anderson on a drive to the net to make it 4-3 Dogs on the power play. The Caps would answer just a half-minute later on a goalmouth scramble as Steen Cooper went to the net and slapped home a loose puck to knot it right back up again at 4-4. The Dogs once again re-took the lead just past the midway mark of the period as Michael Sandor threw a hit at centre and sent the puck over to Nick Kerr who put a hard shot on net on the rush down the left wing that resulted in a rebound that affiliate player Josiah Friesen would bat home to make it 5-4 10:29 into the second. One more later in the frame would give Lars Hepso his third of the night - and back to back hat tricks - as he deflected a Kurt Gosselin point shot up and over Derek Dun for a 6-4 score at 15:08 of the second and into period three.
The lull that began the second was replaced by the downright circus that was the first period as the Caps erased the two-goal deficit and tied the game just three minutes, first drawing back within a goal on a Mikael Jung tally - relayed to the booth during the game as Chase Kaiser - as a banker behind the net somehow found its way home off either Jay Deo or the four Bulldogs on the edge of the paint. A zamboni-glass bounce on a dump in would then end up on the stick of Ryan Hanes wide open between the hash marks where he made no mistake going top corner glove side on Deo to make it 6-6, shorthanded. The Dogs would again take the lead just short of the midway mark of the frame on a won draw in the Caps zone by Zach Funk onto the tape of John Brumwell who beat his man off the puck drop and scored with a quick release through traffic short-side. Brumwell would pick up 2/3rds of the Gordie Howe hatty just seconds later as he went out looking for retribution on Ryan Coghlan after he dropped Tryg Strand off the ensuing draw at centre ice with a knee-on-knee hit. He would end up in the box with an extra two for instigating and the Caps would tie the game less than a minute into the man advantage on a nice set up as Troy Paterson ripped a one-timer home short-side for a 7-7 score with half the third remaining. Incredibly, neither team was able to find the net as it was off to sudden death overtime.
The Caps would control the first overtime, out shooting the Dogs 8-1. A highlight reel save by Jay Deo would send the game to 3 on 3 double OT as he went post to post to get a blocker on a shot that was labelled on a cross-ice pass. The Dogs then had the better of chances in double OT with both Ryan Lough and Lars Hepso having chances but Derek Dun stood tall until Evan Tironese ended the game by walking the blue line and then getting his feet moving through the left circle before using a lightning quick release to snap on past Dun low, far side.
Final shots favoured the Dogs 51-45
The Dogs went 3 for 9 on the power play while the Caps went 2 for 6 while adding a shorthanded marker.
Whew that's a lot of writing! I enjoy lots of goals and excitement as much as any other fan, but I also don't mind recapping the 2-1 games...as Bruce said more goals more work! Great to have Bruce and Dan back in the booth, it's not the same without you guys and no where near as good either!
Time to get some food and a sleep, 28th Annual Port Alberni Toy Run tomorrow!
Hammer
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